First off, parking for Outside Lands Festival is way easier than the website tries to make you believe. All last year and tonight I have had no trouble finding a perfect spot to park. Just in case you cared. Anyway, I arrived a bit late and missed Akron/Family and Autolux, two bands I was looking forward to seeing since they had extended the Friday timeslots from last year’s. So I waltzed in without a problem and made my way to the Sutro stage to see The Dodos.
Now The Dodos had this extra accessible Animal Collective sound until songs from their next album Time to Die started to leak and fans of the band started to find out what he band sounded like when they were more focused and sharper (much like what happened with The Shins). The band brought that very sharpness and focus to the stage today. Playing many off Visiter and a handful off their next album including Fables, the band was playful yet very concentrated. Most of the crowd didn’t seem familiar with the band’s material but were extremely impressed. Good job boys!
The Dodos – Foolsfrom Visiter (2008)
After that I walked over to the Lands End Stage for Silversun Pickups. Not a huge fan but i was willing to give them some ear space and see what they had to bring. However the Lands End Stage is the ‘Main Stage’ and people had already layed out their blankets and gotten comfortable, making me do somersaults over their shit in order to get a good spot to watch Silversun Pickups. Well about three songs into the set I was bored and ready to move to the Twin Peaks stage to catch Q-Tip. I will admit that I was happy to hear There’s No Secrets This Year from the band. One of my favorites off the new record.
Silversun Pickups– There’s No Secrets This Yearfrom Swoon (2009)
Off to the Sutro stage I bought a nice cup of $7 New Castle and watched the remaining songs from Midnite. The best part about this set; the dancing reggae hippies! Oh my God! I am so surprised (I shouldn’t have been) to see how many stinky, dreadlocked, bad dancing hippies with bare feet there were at the festival. I had a good laugh.
So after 45 minutes of waiting Q-Tip took the stage with a full band. Opening with about 4 songs off last year’s album The Renaissance (One of my favorites). All songs performed flawlessly and with full throttle energy. It only got better from there, he then began to churn out Tribe Called Quest classics like Check The Rhime, Award Tour, Bonita Applebum, and many more.
I was going ballistic! I was dancing and singing along and freaking the fuck out. This was all probably due to the titan of a stage presence he had during the entire performance. He seemed to be channeling James Brown and Otis Redding which kept the entire crowd on their feet and dancing uncontrollably. It was a blast and made it hard for me to believe that anyone could top a performance on that magnitude this week. Yes, it was that good.
Q-Tip– Dance On Glassfrom Lynwood Rose (Bootleg) (2009)
So after he wrapped it up, I grabbed a messy burrito, ate it like a caveman would eat a freshly caught kill, ran into some friends that said watching Incubus was like watching an animatronic display acting out Incubus songs, and then tried to get a good spot for Pearl Jam. Now I have nothing against Pearl Jam, the band has always had a special place in my heart but my local alternative rock radio station (WRRV 96.9) where I grew up ruined the band for me due to them playing their radio friendly songs over and over again. I own Ten, Vitalogy, and Yield. So I know a fresh amount of PJ songs. I was ready for some nostalgia to be pumped into my ears.
They were…good! Really good. They didn’t seem bored or tied to a timeslot. The band had their fair amount of rockin’ solos, sing-a-longs, and lighter waving slow tunes. Nothing new or super special, but it was a nice thing to witness and brought me back to the time I realized Pearl Jam wasn’t just another Alt-rock single-machine. They are songwriters and very good ones at that.
They shoved a few new ones in there and seemed to really have a lot of fun play those. The crowd was more into it than I thought but over all people really wanted to hear their favorite radio hits.
Setlist: Why Go, Animal, Severed Hand, Corduroy, Low Light, The Fixer, In My Tree, Small Town, Even Flow, Got Some, I am Mine, Down, Given to Fly, Black, Do the Evolution, Go, Save You, MFC
Encore 1:Wasted Reprise, Betterman, Daughter, The Real Me, Crazy Mary, Alive
Encore 2: Throw Your Hatred Down, Rockin in the Free World (Neil Young Cover)
Pearl Jam– Do the Evolutionfrom Yield(1998)
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I left surprised how everything was working out real well so far. No hiccups. No major mishaps. Yeah I missed The National but I can live another day. Off to Day Two with my favorite line-up, Mastodon, TV on the Radio, and The Mars Volta.
I’ll report what happens tonight after I get home with pictures and short reviews. I’m running a bit late because of work but I’ll still see fair amount tonight. Here’s to another weird experience…
Sonoma County’s Groundation is not your average American roots reggae band; with improvised jazz and dub influences, the band brings back the soul that reggae was inspired by and exerts that on stage and on record. The band consists of Harrison Stafford on vocals and guitar, Marcus Urani on keyboards, ‘Iron’ Ryan Newman on bass, David “Diesel” Chachere on trumpet, Kelsey Howard on trombone, Te Kanawa Haereiti aka Rufus on drums, Mingo Lewis Jr on congas, timbales, and percussion, and Kim Pommell and Stephanie Wallace on chorus. Earlier this month the band released its sixth full-length studio album, and eighth album over all, Here I Am. Here I Am features performances by Reggae legends The Congos and Pablo Moses which gives a special spark to the already talented and impressive root reggae act.
Percussionist Mingo Lewis Jr. was kind enough to answer another Outside Lands Special Kuestionnaire and give us an interesting collaboration wish…
Groundation will be performing at Outside Lands Festival on Saturday at the Presidio stage in Lindley Meadow from 2:20 PM – 3:05 PM.
1. Could you state your name and what you do in the band?
Mingo Lewis jr. I am the percussionist.
2. How would you describe your sound?
The band is reggae jazz and my sound is Afro cuban percussion mixing in reggae percussion.
4. Any concerts that blew your mind recently?
Ozomatli ripped up in Germany
5. If your music was to be the theme of a film/TV show, what would it be?
Planet earth
6. What musician/artist would you like to collaborate with for a day?
Sting
7. What is the album you listen to on a cold rainy day?
Jill Scott, Live in Paris
8. List four songs you would listen to on a roadtrip?
Bob Marley- concrete jungle. Doobie Powell- Alright. Irakere- Aguanile. Tower of Power-Soul Vaccination.
9. Where do you see yourselves in 7 years?
Everywhere!!!! Playin music
10. What is the last book you read?
How to golf by ben hogan
11. Is image a factor in music or is it a waste of time?
waste of time
12. Any favorite tour locations?
paris, hawaii, and Switzerland …
13. Lastly, what is your present state of mind?
Good vibes
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Groundation – Everyone Could Losefrom Here I Am(2009)
Ex-Decoder Ring member, Lenka Kripac, mostly known as Lenka, is an Australian television actress turned whimsical musician, mostly recognized for her song The Show from her self-titled album Lenka. Released the 23rd of September 2008 through Epic Records, her self titled debut sparkles with Regina Specktor-like free spiritedness and bleak subjected lyrics hidden within catchy tunes and folk pop melodies.
As part of our Outside Lands Kuestionnaire Series, Lenka swings by the Kata Rokkar to answer today’s Kuestionnaire before she rocks out at Golden Gate Park this weekend.
Lenka plays Outside Lands Festival on Sunday from 1:25PM to 2:10PM on the Sutro Stage at Lindley Meadow.
1. Could you state your name and what you do?
Lenka, singer/songwriter, musician
2. How would you describe your sound?
Intelligent pop. I didn’t come up with that but i like it…
3. What is your favorite local band?
Miniature Tigers
4. Any concerts that blew your mind recently?
Jenny Lewis in Tokyo
5. Any non-musical influences you would like to mention?
Fairytales and nursery rhymes
6. If your music was to be the theme of a film/TV show, what would it be?
A modern fairytale, possibly a cartoon or animated thing.
7. What musician/artist would you like to collaborate with for a day?
David Bowie
8. What is the album you listen to on a cold rainy day?
M.Ward – Transfigurations Of Vincent
9. List four songs you would listen to on a roadtrip?
Come Together by The Beatles, Hunter by Bjork, Highway One by The Waifs, Crazy by Gnarls Barkley
10. Where do you see yourself in 7 years?
Raising babies in my country house with a dope music studio out the back.
11. What is the last book you read?
Welcome to The Monkey House – Kurt Vonnegut
12. Is image a factor in music or is it a waste of time?
Huge factor, very important.
13. Any embarrassing moments on stage you would like to share?
Not really!
14. Any favorite tour locations?
Berlin, Thailand, Japan, New York.
15. Lastly, what is your present state of mind?
Morning optimism.
Tenacious Dhave announced that they will perform as Sunday, August 30th headliner at this year’s Outside Lands Festival, replacing Beastie Boys who canceled due to Adam “MCA” Yauch diagnosed with Parotid gland cancer.
So New Jersey’s All Points West gets Jay-Z and we get the D? I’m not sure how I feel about this just yet. There’s no doubt it will be fun, but as a replacement? My assumption is that they’ll find another performer to make it a double-bill. Because this will most definitely not increase ticket sales. I understand that this has been a hard year for Outside Lands and this is way last minute. But I can’t say I’m impressed. Maybe I need to listen to ‘Wonder Boy’ again…
Are there ample amounts of acts this year? Absolutely.
So why am I not going to Coachella? I mean, I just moved out here to California. Shouldn’t I take advantage of one of the most anticipated concert events of the year? Yeah I guess. So why have I decided not to go this year?
Because I just don’t care enough. Simple as that.
Paul McCartney, The Killers, and The Cure are all good to “say” you saw (actually, I’m confused when people say it’s cool to “say” you saw somebody. So what?). Most of the other artists I’m really into like TV on the Radio, Lykke Li, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Lupe Fiasco, and Henry Rollins, I have already seen. And artists I’m interested in seeing live like Gang Gang Dance, Girl Talk, Chemical Brothers, Fleet Foxes, Beirut, and My Bloody Valentine, are not worth the trouble and the price. And who’s to say my friends are going to want to see any of those acts? Granted you run into the same issues at any festival, but this year’s line-up just doesn’t seem to be worth the effort.
Plus with Animal Collective with Grouper in May, Mates of State with SUNBEARS! in April, a possible run to Chicago for Lollapalooza, and this year’s Outside Lands Festival here in San Francisco; what’s the point of going through all the trouble?
So to those of you that are going; more power to ya! If you’re writing about it, I’ll be on the look out and would love to hear how it went. I’ll probably be working…and I’m okay with that.
Kata Rokkar is a place where you can download free mp3 from artists and bands that I currently love and listen to. They are only for sampling purposes and to influence you to go out and support these artists by purchasing their records and going to their concerts. If you are a record company or an artist that is displeased with a song being displayed, feel free to contact me and I will remove it ASAP. Thank you and enjoy!
Fools from Visiter (2008)
Can I afford it? Yes.
